Transcript
[Music] OSU Extension Service
The Oregon State University Honey Bee Lab presents Dissecting for Tracheal Mites.
To determine if a bee is infested with tracheal mites, one must dissect the bee to view tracheal tubes.
Place the bee on its back. With forceps remove the head and first pair of legs.
Pull on the collar of the thorax and remove. The collar may be brittle and break apart, so the technique may take practice.
Trachea should be attached to the collar piece or they may still be attached to the bee body.
This is an adult trachea mite and an egg that have been removed with forceps from the the trachea. They are small white and football-shaped.
This is a tracho tube with no tracheal mites.
This is a mild infestation of tracheal mites.
This is a moderate infestation.
This is a heavy infestation of tracheal mites. Severe infections may cause dark scarring of the trachea, however, scarring can occur with different levels of infestation.
[Music]
Summary
Knowing the levels of tracheal mites in your apiary and understanding the effects of their presence will enable you to make an educated decision on your treatment plan. In this video, we demonstrate the dissection of a honey bee worker for tracheal mite infestation.
Catalog - EM 9145
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